Fluid operated friction clutch



Oct. 27, 1953 R. s. LANGDON 2,656,905

FLUID OPERATED FRICTION CLUTCH Original Filed Aug. 115, 1945 2Sheets-Sheet l Oct. 27, 1953 R. s. LANGDON FLUID OPERATED FRICTIONCLUTCH 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Original Filed Aug. 15, 1945 Patented Oct. 27,1953 Robert S. Langdon,

Seattle, Wash.,

assignor to Western Gear Works, Seattle, Wash, a corporation ofWashington Original application, An 610,465. Divided an 1, 1950; SerialNo. 177

3 Claims.

This invention relates to a fluid operated friction clutch and is adivision of my co-pending application, Ser. No. 610,465, filed August13, 1945, maturing October 31, 1950, as United States Pat out No.2,528,314.

The clutch of the present invention is particularly adapted for use inconjunction with a hydraulic torque converter applied to work whichsubjects the converter to rapidly fluctuating loads, and more especiallyfor use as part of a power-transmitting mechanism which, under loadconditions allows instant shifting from a direct-drive to areduction-drive permitting an immediate pick-up in the converter outputand thus raising the speed into the range of high convertexoutputefiiciency; The clutch is engineered to create in effect a flywheel, andthis is accomplished by causing all of the elements of the except thefriction plate, to rotate in unison with the turbine side of the torqueconverter, and by making the clutch of unusually heavy construction. Theplate is operatively associated with the output shaft so as to eiiect adirect-drive when the clutch is engaged.

Accordingly, it is an important object of this invention to provide afriction clutch in which all of the parts except the friction platerotate togetherat all times.

As a further object still, the invention aims to provide a clutch theinherent design of which permits the clutch components to be givenusually heavy construction and which, working in conjunction with theunitary movement of these components, allows the clutch to effectivelystore energy and function as a flywheel.

A yet further object of the invention is to provide a clutch of thisnature which is made to operate by fluid pressure and which can beengaged and disengaged instantaneously.

Still a further object is to provide such a clutch which is of simpleand economical construction.

With the foregoing and other still more particular objects andadvantages in view, the invention consists in the novel construction andin the adaptation and; combination of parts hereinafter described andclaimed.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure l is a fragmentary longitudinal vertical sectional viewillustrating a clutch constructed in accordance: with the preferredembodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 2. is a fragmentary transverse vertical sec tion drawn on line 2--2 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary transverse vertical section drawn on line 3-4 ofFig. l.

gust 13, 1945, Serial No. I?) this application August 13 Referring tosaid drawings, the numeral in denotes the input shaft which is or may bedriven by a torque converter as illustrated and describedreduction-drive is aiiected through gears.

The input shaft in is formed with a step-down portion l2 at itsouterend, and splined to this step-down portion is the hub l3 of amasterwheel M. Disposed more or less central to the length of the huband made integral therewith the said wheel presents an outwardlyextending web section [5 giving support to telly-like annular flanges l6and H which are radially oflset from one another and extend the formerforwardly and the latter rearwardly from the webs outer limit. The hub,the rear face of the web 15, and the rearwardly directed flange l7,define an annular cavity I8 open to cylinder;

outer end of the cylinder. A doughnut-shaped leather 21 of U- shapedcross-section is received in the cylinder and is held between the pistonand a piston follower 22 by circumferentially spaced bolts 23;

Projecting outwardly beyond the flange I! and axially ofiset from theweb [5 the master wheel presents a rimming plate 24 constituting andhereinafter termed a for unitary rotation with the surrounding housingH. A clutch plate 28 is splined, as at 30, for endwise sliding movementupon the flange IT of the master wheel and serves as the complement ofthe clutch spaced cap-screws 3i threadably secured to the piston andslida ly received H with their head ends passing through an inturnedannular lip 32 formed integrally with the said clutch plate, the headsof the cap screws bearing against the outer face of said lip.

Spacer pins 39 are placed to occur at circumferentially spaced intervalsalternating with the cap-screws 3i and are slidably received through theflange ll, one end of the pins being threaded to the lip 32 and theother end bearing against the outer rim of the piston l9. Clutch-releasesprings 33 are caught between the lip 32 and the master wheel insurrounding relation to the spacer pins. Accordingly, it will be seenthat the clutch plate 28 and the piston are tied for unitary axialmovement in both axial directions relative to the master wheel, suchmovement when directed rearwardly being yieldingly resisted by thesprings 33. Since the master wheel, the clutch plate, and the pistonrotate as one, they serve the function of a flywheel.

The forward end of the step-down I2 is provided with an angular bore 34extending from its forward end axially inwardly for a short distance andthen radially to connect with a registering opening 29 in the hub. Theforward end of the bore 35 receives a hollow cap-screw fitting 35 havingan outer integral prolongation 3B which rotatively fits in a stationaryseal 31. Shown in the drawing is the hub section 39 of a sheave whichdrives an air compressor (not shown). The forward end of the hub l3, theweb 15, and the forwardly directed flange I6 define an annular pocket 39surrounding the hub, and accommodated in this pocket is a ring-shapedmanifold 38. This manifold is joined to the transverse portion of thebore 34 by a hollow fitting and is held in position by hollow spinalnipples 42 which traverse the web and feed to the interior of thecylinder I8. The seal 37 connects by a tube 43 to a pressure source ofair or other fluid which is or may be supplied by the compressor and bya suitable control valve (not shown) Tracing the operation, when adirect-drive is desired the control valve is set to admit air underpressure into the tube 43 and thence to the cylinder through theconnections 3l--35 4l-3S-42. Such pressure forces the piston rearwardlyso that the cap-screws 3| are caused to draw the movable clutch plate 28toward the clutch principal 2t and thus grip the friction plate 28therebetween, resulting in a coupling of the movable housing H to theflywheel and, hence, to the input shaft [0. This effects a direct-driveto the output shaft which is secured to the said housing as aforesaid.Such movement of the clutch plate also results in a compression of therelease springs 33 so that when it is desired to disengage the clutch bydumping air from the cylinder the release springs will responsivelyexert their constrained force and move the clutch plates apart. Thedumping action is one in which the air under pressure retraces the feedpath to the control valve and there discharges to the atmosphere.

A feature of the invention is the provision of a passageway through theclutch for the flow of cooling air from the front to the back of thelatter. At the front side of the clutch this passageway is substantiallyannular in shape, being described between the master wheel and theclutch plate 28, and is accomplished by separating these members toproduce a rather wide gap, designated by 45, therebetween. At the rearside of the clutch, the passageway is broken down into a plurality ofarcuate slits 58 out directly through the clutch principal 24 at thesubstantial root end thereof. The friction plate 25, like the plate 28,is separated from the neck of the master wheel which it surrounds todefine an annular gap 4'! therebetween which registers with the slits48, and communication from this gap 41 to the gap 45 through thatportion of the clutch plate which is splined to the master whee1 isaccomplished by mutilating the spline at circumferentially spacedintervals to produce arcuate slits 4'6 spaced in registeringcorrespondence with the slits 48.

The outer portion of the clutch plate 28 is equipped with a plurality oftriangular vanes 50 which serve to circulate the air adjacent theclutch. Air so circulated passes through said interior passageway as theclutch spins, and a portion of the air column also works outwardly fromthe passageway along the faces of the friction plate when the latter isdisengaged. It will be understood that the clutch is contained in ahousing having air-ingress and air-egress openings. Such housing isdeleted from the present drawings but is illustrated in theaboveidentifieol patent of which this application is a division.

The invention should be clear from the foregoing detailed description,but it is to be understood that changes may be made without departingfrom the inventive concept and I thrlrefore intend that the heretoannexed claims be given a scope fully commensurate with the broadestinterpretation which the employed language fairly permits.

What I claim is:

l. A fluid-operated clutch for use in coupling driving and drivenmembers journal-mounted for rotary movement about a coinciding axis, amaster wheel coupled for unitary movement with the driving member, saidmaster wheel being formed with an annular open-end cylinder forreceiving the fiuid medium, said cylinder being placed concentric to theaxis of rotation and presenting an integral clutch principal havingitsworking face directed opposite from the open end of the cylinder, apiston received in said cylinder, a clutch plate facing the clutchprincipal, a fricton plate coupled for unitary rotary movement to thedriven member and occupying a position between the clutch principal andclutch plate, said clutch plate and piston occupying positions atopposite sides of the master wheel, tie-bolts journaled for endwisesliding movement in the master wheel and connecting the clutch plate andthe piston, spacing pins slida-bly received through the master wheelwith one end thereof secured to the clutch plate, and springs carried bysaid pins and arranged to yieldingly resist inward movement of theclutch plate toward the clutch principal.

2. In a fluid-operated clutch for use in coupling driving and drivenmembers journal-mounted for rotary movement about a coinciding axis, amaster wheel coupled for unitary movement with the driving member, saidmaster wheel being formed with an annular open-end cylinder forreceiving the fiuid medium placed concentric to the axis of rotation andpresenting an integral clutch principal having its working face directedopposite from the open end of the cylinder, a piston received in saidcylinder, a clutch plate facing the clutch principal and carrier by themaster wheel for axial movement with respect thereto, said piston andclutch plate presenting opposed annular flanges positioned on oppositesides of the master wheel, tie bolts slidably received through themaster wheel and connecting said opposed annular flanges, a frictionplate coupled for unitary movement to the driven member and occupying aposition between the clutch princi- 2,656,906 pal and clutch plate, andmeans yieldingly resistcompression springs carried by said pins andpoing outward movement of the piston. sitioned between the annularflange of the clutch 3. In afluid-operated clutch for use in couplingplate and the master wheel to yieldingly resist driving and drivenmembers journal-mounted inward movement of the clutch plate toward thereceiving the fluid medium placed concentric to ROBERT S. LANGDON.

clutch principal having its working face directed 10 References Cited inthe file Of this patent opposite from the open end of the cylinder, .9,pis- UNITED STATES PATENTS ton received in said cylinder, a clutch plateiacing the clutch principal and carried by the masgig f 11 gf De c 2190.2

ter wheel for axial movement with resp ct th e- 15 1,759,755 Lindner May20, 1930 2,176,468 Noun et a1 Oct. 17, 1939 an 2,291,241 Laurence July28, 1942 of the master wheel, tie bolts shdably 1 e v d 2,317,599 FreerApr. 27, 1943 opposed annular flanges, spacing pins slzdably ie- 20ceived by the master wheel with one end thereof 2437670 Adamson Man 16)1948

